§ 42. Mr. Hoggasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether consideration has yet been given to the status of T.124X personnel; and if he can make a statement.
§ The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. A. V. Alexander)T.124X personnel are naval auxiliary members of the Armed Forces of the Crown. Their rates of pay and conditions of service are based on those of the Merchant Navy. T.124X ratings receive the basic rate of pay of their rank as laid down by the National Maritime Board; they also receive a consolidated rate of overtime and, when at sea, war risk money. T.124X personnel are being released in order of age and service group at a rate corresponding to that of General Service Naval personnel engaged on equivalent duties. On release T.124X personnel are eligible for 56 days' resettlement leave and a free issue of civilian clothing.
§ Mr. HoggDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that their pension rights are fundamentally different, so that, for instance, a man suffering from tuberculosis, if he is T.124X, does not get a pension in circumstances where, if he were ordinary naval personnel, he would get the pension?
§ Mr. AlexanderThe answer to that is that they were paid ordinary civil rates with overtime, and are paid ordinary rates of compensation.